Spring assembly for upholstery and springs therefor



-Sheet 2 Nov. 19, 1935.

SPRING Patented Nov. 19, 1935 STATES PATENT oF-FicE* SPRING ASSEMBLY FORUPHOLSTERY AND SPRINGS THEREFOR The present invention relates toimprovements in springs for Spring assemblies for upholstery and of theassembly made up of said springs and Spring connecting devices.

The main object of the invention is to provide an npholstery Springwherein the terminai coils are extended at their extremities laterallybeyond the `oody of the Spring and wherein the extremities of said endcoils are provided with Skeleton terminai formations Such as loops whichafford a means for engaging the Spring at three different points bySpring coupling devices in eifecting its incorporation into a Springassembly for purposes of holding the same against rotation about its ownaxis and against dis-` placement relatively to the other springs.

A further object of the invention is to provide springs of the typereferred to, wherein the said terminal formations of the end coils ofthe springs also provide auxiliary supports'fo'r the padding whichoverlies the Spring assembly when the same is incorporatcd into amattress or cushion.

A further object of the invention is to provide a Spring of the typereferred to above which is capable of being delivered directly from aconventionai coiler without requiring any subseqnent Operation on theSpring to impart to it the desired Shape and co-ntour.

A further object of the inventio'n is to provide a Spring made up ofspringS of the type hereinabove referred to, wherein the body portionsof the Component Springs are maintained in predetermined spaced relationto each other without presenting unduly large free spaces betweencontign ns s* rings into which the aforesaid padding is enabled to Sag.

Snitable embodiinents of the invention are illostrated in theaccompanying drawings wherein:

i is. a vertical sectional view on the line i-i of Fig. 2 of a Springassembly constructed in accordance with the invention.

2 is a plan section of the same on the .i-#22 of Fig. 1.

3 is a plan section similar to Fig. 2 Showing the component springs ofthe assembly disposed -n a different relative arrangement.

4 is a view Simiiar to Figs. 2 and 3 showing still another relativearrangement of coment springs of the assembly.

'ig. 5 is a perspective view of one of the cornponent Springs of theassembly.

6 is a pian view of the same.

eferring .first to Figs. 5 and 6, it will be noted ie Spring showntherein comprises a body (l) of what may be termed the conn-,= onalupholstery Spring type, the end or, rminal coils of said Spring beingextended in a piral of increasing radius relative toI that of the normalContour of an end coil of an upholstery Spring, to form the extensionportions (2) and forming the extremities of said extension portions (2)into substantially circular loops (3)` which-` are disposed laterally ofand spaced from the: body portion of the Spring, the said extensionportions (2) and loops (3) being disposed in planes parallel with eachother and Substantiaily perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of thebody portion (-i) of the Spring.

Springs of the type shown in Figs. 5 and 6 are delivered directly from aconventional Spring coiling machine (commonly known asa coiler in theart) by the usey of certain forming cams and efiecting certainadjustments of the coiler so that springs cost no more, Substantially,than the conventional upholstery Spring, the additional cost being thatof the additional wire required to provide the extension portions (2)and loops (3).

Preferably, the extension portions (2) and loops (3) are positionedrelatively to each other at opposite ends of springs as shown in Fig. 6,but this relative arrangement or position of the loops (3) may be variedas desired without departure from the invention.

Referring now to Figs. 1 and 2, it will be noted that the springs (I)are arranged in spaced relation to each other; in parallel rowsextending transversely' of the assembly and that they are disposed: inparallel rows wherein the body portions of the Springs are in alignmentwith each other longitudinally of the assembly, the type of Spring shownin Figs. 5 and 6 being interposed between end rows of springs (G),wherein the terminai loop formations (5) of the end coils are disposedwithin the confines of the body portion. of said springs to provide aseries of stiffer Springs along the front and rear edges of the Springassemblies than are provided in the body of the assembly.

The relative arrangement of Springs as shown in Fig. 2 constitutes thepreferred embodiment of the invention in a Spring assembly and it willbe noted that in this preferred embodiment, each of the componentsprings of the type shown in Figs. 5 and'fi is spaced from eachcompanion Spring in such a manner as to bring the loop fcrmations (t)substantially midway between the body portions of two contiguous springsso that said loops (3) and the extension portion (2) of the terminal endcoils of each Spring cooperate with the connecting flexible wire Strands(i) to provide supports for padding in what otherwise would oonstituteopen spaces between contiguous springs of a row thereof.

The wire Strands (5), herein illustrated, con- S ist of helicals whichare commonly used in the manufacture of Spring' assemblies formaintaining Springs in spaced relation to each other and to connect thesprings with each other. In the instance illustrated in Fig. 2, eachhelical (6) engages the end coil of the spring and its terminal loop (3)with the exception of the helical (6) shown at the bottom of Fig 2. Allof the helicals except the marginal ones, are parallel with'andinterposed between marginal helicals (6) at the top and bottom of Fig. 1and engage the terminal coils of two contiguous springs to connect thesprings of one row with the springs of the next adjacent row besidesengaging the terminai coil formations (3) of the coupled springs, ysothat each spring of the assembly of the type shown in Fig. 5 and Fig. 6,is engaged atthree distinct and spaced apart points by the helicals andsaid points of engagement are relatively far apart.

t will be noted that if the upper end coils of the springs (I) of Fig. 2were shown, the loop formations (3) at the tops of said springs would bedisposed in partly overlapping relation to the lower loop formations (3)in the manner illustrated in Fig. 6.

Preferably, the helicals (1) extending transversely of helicals (6)engage the marginal springs (4) for further joining of said springs andalso to provide substantially continuous, approximately straight edgesalong the margins of the assembly.

In Fig. 3, I have illustrated another embodiment of the invention,wherein the springs (I) are disposed in staggered relation to each otherthroughout the assembly and the same are spaced from each other so thatnone of the helicals (8) is enga-ged with more than one thickness ofwire of any of the Component springs anywhere in the assembly, exoept atits extreme ends where springs of the type (4), shown in Fig. 2, arealternated with springs (I) along two marginal edges of the springassembly. In the structure of Fig. 3, each of the springs (I) is engagedby helicals at three spaced apart points.

In Fig. 4, I have shown another embodiment of the invention diiferingfrom that shown in Figs 2 and 3, wherein the springs (I) are relativelyarranged so that each thereof is engaged by a helical (9) at a pointdiametrically opposite the point of engagement thereof by anotherhelical in the loop formation (3) of the end coil, and said springs arespaced apart differently in diiferent rows so as to form a seat cushion,for example, which is of greater Width along its front than along itsrear edge and is provided with side edges extending at an acute angle tothe front edge of the spring assembly and an obtuse angle to the rearedge thereof. In the instance illustrated in Fig. 4, the upper row ofsprings (I) will constitute the front edge row in the completed assemblyand the springs shown at the bottom of Fig. 4 will constitute the rearedge row of said springs, the spacing of said springs in the differentrows being variable as desired, as will be obvious.

It will also be obvious that the loop forma.- tions (3) may be spaced agreater or less distance from the body portion of the spring (I) thanthat shown in Figs. 5 and 6 and in Figs. 2, 3 and 4.

Spring assemblies Constructed in accordance with the present inventioncan be produced at very low cost and the resulting Structure is moreefiicient per unit of nine or sixteen springs than if the assembly werecomposed of such a unit of the same area of springs devoid of theextension portions (2) and loop formations (3) shown herein.

The padding referred to hereinabove is not illustrated in the drawingsas the same is well known to those skilled in the art.

I claim as my invention:

1. A spring assembly for upholstery compris- 5 ing a row of upholsterysprings each comprising a body portion terminating at one end in an endcoil equipped With a terminai loop formation disposed laterally of thebody portion of the Spring, said springs of each row thereof beingspaced 10 from each other and said loop formations thereof disposed tooccupy open spaces between contiguous springs, and ilexible wire devicesbordering the said row of springs, one of said devices engaging the endcoil and the loop formation of each of the springs of the row and theother of said devices engaging the end coil`of each of the said springsat points diametrically opposite the points of engagernent of the saidend coils by the other of said devices.

2. A spring assembly comprising a plurality of parallel membersconstituting Spring spacing devices, a plura-lity of rows of upholsterysprings alternated with said devices, each of said devices being engagedwith the terminal coils of each of two springs of each row of the latterand the terminal coil of each spring of a row of the latter beingengaged at diametrically opposite points by two of said devices wherebysaid springs maintain said deviccs in spaced relation to each other,each terminai coil of each of said springs being equipped with an offsetportion terminating in a loop formation, the latter being eng-aged byone of said devices which is also engaged with the terminal coil cf theSpring, whereby each terminal end portion of each Spring of the assemblyis engaged at three points spaced from each other by a of said devices.

3. A spring assembly comprising a series of parallel rows of upholsterysprings spaced from each other, each terminal coil of each of saidsprings being equipped with an ofset portion terminating in a loopformation, a series of parallel members constituting spring-spacingdevices alternating with said rows of Spring-s` and constituting alsocoupling devices for coupling the springs of each row with the springsof the next adjacent row, each terminal coil of each of said springsbeing engaged at diametrically opposed points by two of said devices,and each of the latter, except one, thereof, being engaged also with aloop formation of each of said springs.

4. A Spring assembly ccmprising a plurality ofv parallel membersconstituting Spring spacing de- Vices, a piurality of rows of upholsterysprings alternated with said devices, each of said devices, except one,thereof, being engaged with the terminal coils of each of two springs ofeach row of the latter and the terminal coil of each Spring of a row ofthe latter being engaged at diametrically opposite points by two of saiddevices whereby said springs maintain said devices in spaced relation toeach other, each terminai col of each Spring of each row thereof, exoeptthe' two springs at the ends of the row, being equipped with an offsetportion terminating in a loop formation spaced from the body of thespring, said loop formation of each of said springs being engaged by oneof the devices` engaged also with the body portion of the terminai ccilof said spring, whereby each terminai end portion of each Spring of theassembly is engaged at three points spaced from each other by a pair ofsaid devices.

LoUIs A. sUEKoFF.

